' President Jacob Zuma's office has moved swiftly to deny reports that he had a cosy phone conversation with embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, whose country is engulfed by an uprising.  Share President Jacob Zuma.  
Zuma's assurances 'hardly convincing'Zuma moves on Equity BillZuma backs out of Ivory Coast visit'No Libya protest here' - Zuma'Tanks are everywhere'  The Democratic Alliance yesterday called on Zuma to clarify his telephone conversation with Gaddafi after BBC Monitoring reported that Libyan TV quoted the South African president as "stressing the need not to depend on tendentious reports circulated by foreign media outlets" during the phone call.
Zuma, according to BBC Monitoring, is alleged to have also called on the African Union to "take decisive action and uncover the conspiracy that Libya is facing".
Zizi Kodwa, Zuma's spokesman, said in a statement that there has never been any "ambiguity" about the position of either Zuma or the country.
"President Zuma has spoken out clearly on the Libyan question. South Africa has openly condemned the loss of life and the attacks on civilians and reported violations of human rights in Libya.
"The country supports the positions taken by the African Union and the United Nations on Libya, and there has never been any ambiguity about the position of either President Zuma or the country," Kodwa said. He said Gaddafi had called to explain his side of the story, and that the Presidency will not be drawn into rumours and distortions of the conversation with Gaddafi.

By Staff reporter and agencies